Lost Tongue documentary to be screened in South Africa

Lost Tongue is heading back home following a successful New York premiere in March.

The South African award wining documentary is set to be showcased at Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival in Cape Town, June 3, 8:30pm at the V&A Waterfront, Cinema Nouveau and in Johannesburg, June 7, 8:30pm and The Bioscope.

Later in the month, the 75 minute documentary will be at the 37th Durban International Film Festival and will also be featured at the Indie Karoo Film Festival on July 1.

Lost Tongue explores the story of Helena Steenkamp, a #Khomani San lady in the Kalahari as she battles to save her N/uu language.

The language, believed to be 25000 years old is only spoken by three elders, the youngest of them aged 81. It is against this chilling prospect that Helena moves to engage her elders to save the language, culture and values of the #Khomani San.

“We are glad that Lost Tongue will be home in June and July, this is a perfect moment for the South Africans to watch the film and reflect on the message that relates to all of us,” said Francis Yannicq Hweshe, one of the film producers.

“It is a layered, universal story of culture, values, history of the people that will be screened at home. The film not only carries an important message for all of us but it is also a visual treat that tells a story of humanity,” said Lost Tongue director Davison Mudzingwa.

The story of the #Khomani San people swings into depths of a brutal past of subjugation that forced them to abandon their language and way of life.

Mvura Ya Afrika (MYA) Productions, the company behind Lost Tongue believes this is an urgent story that South Africans and the world need to take heed of.

Lost Tongue is also an official selection of the Zanzibar International Film Festival set to take place in July. Later in July, the film will be in Canada where it is also in competition for the Best Documentary at the ReelHeART International Film and Screenplay Festival.

Having won the Women Film Critics Circle award at the Socially Relevant Film Festival New York in March, the makers believe the recognition is both humbling and gives traction to the film and the message it carries.

As part of the social impact project, the Producer has set the Lost Tongue Legacy project to build a multimedia centre that will house N/uu language archives as well as training multimedia storytelling skills to young people in The Kalahari.